Cyber Monday Sales Resulted in Smart Spending

Yesterday, while shoppers were clogging the internet with holiday transaction, reporters at CNN were waxing on about how Cyber Monday is a myth. More to the point, they said it was a marketing ploy (gasp!) and is erroneously labeled “the biggest online shopping day of the year.”

It might not turn out to be the biggest day, but retailers aren’t complaining this morning after seeing a 19.4% increase over last year. The numbers come from Coremetrics, an IBM Company’s third annual Cyber Monday Benchmark Report and here’s how it adds up.

Cyber Monday 2010 Compared to Black Friday 2010

• Consumer Spending Increases: Online sales were up 31.1 percent, with consumers pushing the average order value (AOV) up from $190.80 to $194.89 for an increase of 2.1 percent.
• Luxury Goods Continue Comeback: Jewelry retailers reported a significant jump of 60.3 percent in sales.
• Social Shopping: The growing trend of consumers using their networks on social sites for information about deals and inventory levels continued on Cyber Monday. While the percentage of visitors arriving from social network sites is fairly small relative to all online visitors—nearly 1 percent—it is gaining momentum, with Facebook dominating the space.
• Mobile Shopping: Consumers continue to use mobile as a shopping tool. On Cyber Monday, 3.9percent of people visited a retailer’s site using a mobile device.

Cyber Monday 2010 Compared to Cyber Monday 2009 (year/year):

• Consumer Spending Increases: Online sales were up 19.4 percent, with consumers pushing the average order value (AOV) up from $180.03 to $194.89 for an increase of 8.3 percent.
• Luxury Goods Report Big Gains: Affluent shoppers opened their wallets wide, driving sales of luxury goods up 24.3 percent over 2009.
• Shopping Peaks at 9:00 am PST/Noon EST: Consumers flocked online, with shopping momentum hitting its peak at 9:00 am PST/noon EST. But consumer shopping maintained stronger momentum throughout the day than on Cyber Monday 2009.

The consumer may have been generous this year, but so were the retailers, offering not only deep discounts but free shipping on all purchases and that added up to big savings.

Not only was spending up, but Google says there was a sharp increase in holiday deal related search terms. Phrases such as “Cyber Monday deals” trended earlier than usual and “Cyber Monday 2010″ was the second fastest moving search term yesterday.

Google also reports a dramatic rise in online meets offline search terms such as “Black Friday store hours” and “printable coupons.”

This year’s Cyber Monday deals truly were exceptional which makes me wonder if, in spite of the 19.4% increase in spending, did the average retailer actually turn much of a profit? Even though I was already done my holiday shopping (yes, really), I couldn’t resist a late deal offered by Warner Archives that cut 50% off the price if I bought five DVDs and they threw in free shipping. Like a good holiday shopper, I bought five even though I only was interested in three. Can’t turn down a deal like that, can I?

How was your Cyber Monday experience?

Related Articles

• Accel Keeps Its Wallet Open: Lookout Grabs $11 Million in Funding and Adds Execs
• We want your help for a location-based social networking cage match!
• Ads Drop Dot-Com URLs in Favor of "Facebook Us"
• Facebook Drops Contest Pre-Approval, Hooray Says SMBs
• The Case for Converging Your Personal/Professional Networks

Clickbooth Launches CPC Network – Clickbooth CPC

When I was in Vegas, I met up with Clickbooth's old social media manager, Eric. One of the things that I was really excited to hear was that Clickbooth would be launching a new CPC network called, Clickbooth CPC, soon that focused on getting traffic from the top 1000 websites.

Epic. Sounds like money to me. Just for full disclosure, I have not yet tried their CPC network... but I plan on it.

Stop Fighting Your Traffic Source

*nerd fight*

The reason I am so excited for this is because an AFFILIATE NETWORK is obviously going to understand affiliates and design their system to work for their affiliates as best as they can. No longer are going to have to fight with them like you might have to with other places (cough Google cough).

Will Integraclick live up to their "Integrity" name?

I think the biggest concern affiliates are going to have is clickbooth stealing their campaigns. Just think. You're an affiliate manager looking to make some bucks. You go to your "super duper" affiliate and say... "Hey, here is the campaign... our offer at a good payout... ready, set, go."

One of the things I really appreciated about meeting with Eric is that he was telling me the name Integraclick (Clickbooth's parent company) comes from the word integrity. Apparently they base their business model on integrity because in the end... that's the best way to do business. (Someone correct me if I am wrong)

I really appreciated that. In this industry, things can be very shady... so I highly respect companies that at least say they have integrity.

The only way you can ever find out if it's true is by time. If anything like that does happen, contact me. For now though, I am excited to see this new network launch. As always, those who get in early have a huge opportunity to make a ton of money.

Press Release

Check out the official press release here.

Check out Clickbooth CPC now!

[Image source]
[Image Source]
[FYI, this was not a paid post]

Related Articles

• We want your help for a location-based social networking cage match!
• Rich folks tend to have diverse social networks
• Social Luxury is Personal
• The Case for Converging Your Personal/Professional Networks
• Show Off Your Social Networks with Yiid

On Facebook: Is Random Relevant?

“Spent the morning making prank bird calls. The sparrows are not amused.”

See the numbers in the graphic? Those are the stats on that random Facebook wall post made by Skittles. And that’s not a fluke. Everyday, there’s an equally random and nonsensical post on the candy’s fan page and every post draws a similar number of “likes” and comments. Most companies would be thrilled to see those kinds of social media stats, but do those high numbers equal marketing success? Depends on who you ask.

AdvertisingAge contents that Facebook is going to redefine the term relevant when it comes to online marketing. In traditional terms, relevant means supplying consumers with copy that discusses the features and benefits of the product or service. Skittles taste fruity. Oreo is a quality cookie. This vacuum sucks better than that one. But those kinds of blurbs don’t spark conversation on Facebook and that’s a problem.

Says Adage;

“We’ve long known that inserting brands into social-media channels requires a conversational touch, but many are surprised by just how conversational. . .As it turns out, many people in social networks don’t want to talk about your product, they just want to talk.”

My own very unscientific studies bear this out. A post about improvements to a fashion game I promote ends in dead silence. A post asking how many times our fans have seen the new Harry Potter movie results in a flurry of comments and “likes.”

So why not just talk nonsense all the time like Skittles? Here’s why not. Because no one knows yet whether 1,200 comments translates into sales. How many of the 17,000 Facebook users who “liked” this post actually went out and bought a bag of Skittles or recommended them to a friend? And can you see convincing your boss that writing nothing but random statements on Facebook was doing your job and doing it well?

On the other hand, we often talk about Facebook and Twitter as brand awareness tools. McDonalds doesn’t always show a burger in their commercials. They don’t have to. They just need to put the name in your ear so it comes to mind when it’s time for lunch. If half the Skittles Facebook fans pass on today’s post because they think it’s funny, that’s worth something.

Related Articles

• Whiskey Media's (And Former CNET CEO) Shelby Bonnie Talks Content and More!
• Yahoo Snaps Up Associated Content for $90 Million to Compete With AOL and Demand Media
• Win a Ticket to Social Media Success Summit 2010
• Ads Drop Dot-Com URLs in Favor of "Facebook Us"
• Are Facebook Like Buttons Wrong or Right For Your Site?

Medical Monday: Thoughts on the New England Journal of Medicine Perspective on Social Media and Healthcare

This week the New England Journal of Medicine included a “Perspective” piece on social media and healthcare. The piece, by Drs. Greene and Kesselheim from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, provides the author’s opinions on the use of social media in healthcare and raises three main concerns:

1.       A lack of research around the impact of information shared on the Web

2.       Issues around credibility and disclosure by sources

3.       A need for physicians and consumers to hold FDA and pharmaceutical manufacturers responsible for the information provided via social media

Our perspective, announced when testifying at the FDA hearing last year, is a the concept of the “3 C’s Rule” of accountability for brands and content online.

Similar to the concern the authors provide in their article, our perspective is that brands should be held accountable for content if they created it (such as by including the fair balance and “Med Watch” language the FDA currently mandates in branded DTC communications) or appropriate balance in unbranded materials.  Our rule also suggests being held accountable for content if they collaborated with or compensated the creator in some way (such as by briefing online influencers/bloggers or worked in tandem with a third party spokesperson to develop content that is shared online).

Related Articles

• Win a Ticket to Social Media Success Summit 2010
• We want your help for a location-based social networking cage match!
• Register Now for Social Media Marketing 2010
• Rich folks tend to have diverse social networks
• How Google Approaches Social Media As A Team Sport

Celebs Stage a Twitter Walkout for Charity

Alicia Keys and Lady Gaga are staging a Twitter walkout tomorrow and quite a few of their celebrity friends will be joining them. They’re calling it the Digital Life Sacrifice and it’s being held on behalf of Keys’ charity Keep a Child Alive on the occasion of World AIDS Day. (The press release says this is happening Tuesday, but World AIDS Day is Wednesday.)

Tomorrow, Keys, Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Ryan Seacrest, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Elijah Wood, Serena Williams and others will step away from Twitter and Facebook and they’ll stay gone until the charity collects one million in donations. Knowing Lady Gaga fans, this could be a short boycott.

Says Leigh Blake, the president and co-founder of Keep a Child Alive;

“We’re trying to sort of make the remark: Why do we care so much about the death of one celebrity as opposed to millions and millions of people dying in the place that we’re all from?”

The campaign also includes “Last Tweet and Testament” videos which will run over footage of the stars lying in a coffin.

It will be interesting to see how widespread the social media boycott becomes and if it spreads to their fans. According to Blake, “Lady Gaga has more than 7.2 million followers on Twitter, and nearly 24 million fans on Facebook.” Imagine if everyone of them called in “social media sick” tomorrow, and the next day and the next day. Could this boycott be big enough to cause a drop in ad clicks on Twitter and Facebook? Tune in tomorrow and find out.

Related Articles

• Twitter Sponsored Tweets: The Impact for Marketers
• Register Now for Social Media Marketing 2010
• Social Media Marketing Tips for Facebook — SEM Synergy Extras
• Essential Tools Featuring Randa Clay
• Social Luxury is Personal

Facebook Upgrades Insights for the SMB Crowd

Usually I find myself talking about the deficiencies in available services and information to the SMB crowd. I have grown accustomed to it but it’s not how it should be.

It looks like Facebook is realizing this fact and is doing something about it. Why wouldn’t they since there are so many SMB’s using the service to promote their brands? These SMB’s, while not having the deep pockets of the big boys, can turn into real money for the social networking giant as they learn more about how the people who Like them act on the site. The new look Insights section does just that as ClickZ reports.

Small businesses can now obtain the same Facebook data that the big boys have been analyzing since January. While the Palo Alto, CA-based social site had been offering page analytics only to brands with more than 10,000 likes, all companies are now privy to the same information.

Such data includes the number of impressions each post generates, as well as what percentage of fans either “liked” or otherwise interacted with a post. It also involves monthly active users (MAUs). Page administrators for small businesses will be able to view such information retroactively to June 25, 2010, according to a Facebook blog post on Nov. 23.

Now, if you would like a little Internet entertainment go to the above mentioned Facebook blog post and read the comments. You won’t see mention of just how great this option is but rather the complaints of many Facebook users regarding other services and options that they would like to see or would like to see brought back. It’s interesting reading.

As for SMB’s who see the benefit, the following quote gives the general feeling that most SMB’s have regarding their ability to leverage most any Internet offering as compared to the bigger players.

“If I can see what posts are going to generate the most interest, I am going to keep posting those kinds of messages,” said Jenny Cheifetz, owner of confectionary brand The Sugar Mommy, which has 280 Facebook “likers” and is based in Bedford, NH. “Whatever feedback we can get is great.”

Whatever feedback we can get, huh? Isn’t it interesting that many SMB’s are hungry for this kind of offering but the Facebooks and Googles of the world always seem to finally get around to them in an almost afterthought kind of manner. When they finally understand just how much money they are leaving on the table then these services will court the SMB like never before.

Fortunately, there are plenty of savvy SMB’s out there to know just how disingenuous these efforts will look so they will be able to see through the spin. Unfortunately, there are many, many more SMB’s who are not involved at all and will be at the will of these big players as well.

Oh well. That’s the way the Internet cookie crumbles, at least for the SMB crowd.

Related Articles

• Farmville Creator Not Leaving Facebook After All
• Cup of Joe: Facebook Hates Girl Scout Cookies
• Are Facebook Like Buttons Wrong or Right For Your Site?
• Victoria’s Secret Shares the Facebook Like Button a Whole New Way
• Social Media Marketing Tips for Facebook — SEM Synergy Extras

Three Essential Tips to Growing Sales and Service, One Tweet at a Time

This guest post is written by Phil Hollows, the Founder and CEO of FeedBlitz.

Twitter offers small businesses and independent professionals unique opportunities to out-maneuver their larger competitors, by using the social network as a real-time prospecting and customer service system. You can improve your pipeline and grow a stellar support reputation simply by following these three simple tips:

1. Use Twitter Search to find leads and spot problems in real time.
2. Know when to tweet and when to hold off.
3. Use Twitter’s Favorites function to aggregate testimonials.

1. Get vain! Twitter search is real-time market intelligence.

Tweets are, effectively, people shouting from the rooftops, in public, about what they’re doing. Some of their cries will be relevant to you and your business. The trick is to find the signal in the 1,000 Tweets-per-second noise.

What you need is one or more well-tuned Twitter searches, running in a good Twitter client, such as TweetDeck. Once you’re set up, you can quickly identify the people talking about your industry, you, or your competition. I have TweetDeck’s audio alerts set to go off only on the relevant searches; when I hear it chirp I know there’s something I need to pay attention to.

The first essential tip is to start with a so-called “vanity search”—to find people talking about you, your business, and your niche—at http://search.twitter.com.

You’ll probably find there’s too much information with your basic search criteria. To tune the results, go to the advanced page at http://search.twitter.com/advanced to add filters and get more granular. For example, I use a search that excludes the text “http” so that I avoid (re)tweets referencing my own company’s URLs. This narrows down the search to people who are talking about us (which is what we want) instead of people who are simply using the service.

Once the search is tuned, add it to your Twitter client, then rinse and repeat for your competitors and industry terms. You should monitor them the same way.

You’ll quickly discover service and support opportunities from people who need help. You’ll find sales openings when people talk about your industry, the problem you solve, or frustrations with competitors. You’ll find new communities you can join and influence. I guarantee that you’re going to get some surprises and insights long the way!

Working this way, you can solve problems before they become crises, or close the deal before any competitors know there’s even new prospect in the market. You’ll be permanently one step ahead of everyone else.

Tip 1: Twitter search, properly tuned, is free and as timely as you can get it—right when the user is articulating a need you can address.

2. Tweet! Don’t tweet!

Now that you have some hits, it’s the perfect time for you to introduce yourself.

Having found a conversation you want to be part of, you must be sensitive. I recommend sending exactly one tweet, something like: “FYI, saw your Tweet, this might be of interest” (for sales), or “Hi, I’m Phil from FeedBlitz, how can I help?” (for support). No matter what the purpose of your tweet, link to a page or URL that adds value to the conversation.

Examples of great URLs to send include:

• a feature comparison matrix
• a relevant ebook, online video or podcast
• a support page or knowledge base entry
• a Wikipedia entry on the topic
• testimonials and recommendations (your LinkedIn profile, perhaps).

Whatever you send, it should be one link, at most two. Your tweet goes directly to the right person at exactly the right time.

Then, stop. No more tweets for you! Anything more than a single tweet with a relevant resource is too much. It’s a very short step from relevant interruption to spam. Don’t do it.

With luck, you’ll get a reply and the conversation will open up. If nothing else you’ll get kudos, and potentially have your tweet retweeted to the user’s followers—that can pay dividends later on.

Occasionally, folks will get angry about your talking to them out of the blue, even though they’re talking in public. In my experience, engaging with someone who takes this perspective is usually a lose-lose situation. Self-righteousness is immune to logic, and you’re better off leaving well alone. As long as you’re following the “One Tweet and Out” rule, just mark it up to experience and move on. It’s hard to do, because the criticism feels very personal, but it’s essential that you don’t talk back.

Tip 2: Tweet only once. Tweet with relevance. Then stop.

3. Use Twitter Favorites as real-time testimonials.

Eventually you should have enough Tweets from customers and fans that it’s worth favoriting them. In Twitter, favorites have their own RSS feed. I don’t really think anyone else is going to subscribe to it, but it’s a fabulous resource to send to your business’s new prospects: a list of real testimonials from real people in 140 characters or less.

To find you Favorites feed, go to your account at twitter.com. Go to your Favorites, and from the RSS options your browser gives you, choose your Favorites feed. Bookmark the feed’s URL. Done!

As an example, here’s my raw Favorites feed, which I use to track customer service praise for my business, and send to sales prospects looking to switch from other systems. Of course, since we’re FeedBlitz, I actually run it through my own service first to make it pretty, change the feed’s title and add social media sharing options. What I send in practice, then, is

Related Articles

• Essential Tools Featuring Randa Clay
• Blog Tools of Chris Cree
• Blog Tools Featuring Kim Woodbridge
• Tools of Web Designer Jenn Chamberlain
• How Google Approaches Social Media As A Team Sport